Fish-cutting machine.



E. M. LAWRENOE.

FISH CUTTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20. 1911.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

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WIT

B; M. LAWRENCE. FISH CUTTING MAGHINE. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, 1911. v 1,010,15 I Patented N0v.28, 1911.

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AAAKAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAAA AAAAAA AAAAA EDWARD M. LAWRENCE, OF LUBEC, MAINE.

risi -currine MACHINE.

Application filed September 20, i1911.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lubec, in the county of lVashington and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fish-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in" fish cutting machines and especially machines used in the sardine industry for cutting off the heads and tails of small fish.

Hitherto the heads and tails of the fish have in the main been cut off manually. Various attempts have been made to provide means for doing this work by machincry, but, on account of the variation in the size of the fish and because of the difiicultyof segregating the fish and properly positioning them in the path of the cutting devices, such machines have not been very successful.

The present invention is especially designed to position the fish properly in the path of cutting devices.

In the drawing herewith accompanying and forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, some parts being broken away to show interior mechanisms; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showiiig the mechanism which positions' the fish in the path of the'cutting devices; Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the bed upon which the fish are cut; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective viewof one of the positioning devices.

Same reference charactersiindicate like parts in the several figures.

In said drawing 1 is the frame upon which the operating mechanisms are mounted. Secured to the frame 1 is a segregating drum wheel 2 having closed ends 3 and near the periphery inclined shelves or buckets 4: extending from end to end. The underside of the wheel is fitted with an adjustable apron 5, leaving the top open for the reception of the fish in mass. The apron 5 may be attached to a supporting arm 6 secured to the frame and adjustable thereon by means of a set screw 7. The apron-terminates in a downwardly and outwardly inclined 0&- set 8.

Secured to the frame at a point somewhat below and to one side of wheel '2 is a positioning drum wheel 9, having closed ends 10 and transversely extending radially in- -tio Specification of Itetters Patent.

cliielefi p i gdevices 11. These posi- 1111.1; devlcesform the sides of fish receiving' pocke nto which the fishsegregated in iW Q ill from the-shelves as the wheel revibly l hese positioning devices are substan ypyramidal shaped, one side 12 being 13060 substantially coincident with the perip of the wheel, the sides 13 being inclin 00 the plane of the sides of the wheel and the side 14 being substantially radial. These positioning devices may be made of any. material and. may be solid or concave. They are arranged in a series extending at regulated intervals around the wheel and extend from end to end. The under side of the wheel 9 preferably runs in a tray or tank 15 filled with water, the water lessening the friction of the fish upon the positioning devices and facilitating the outward movement. On the upper sidegof this wheel 9 the positioning devices are ex posed, but the under side of the wheel is covered by an apron 16 secured to the frame in any convenient manner, as by screw 17. This apron holds the fish in place during that part of'the revolution of the wheel 9 when they would otherwise fall out of the wheel by gravity. Secured tothe frame somewhat below and to one side of wheel 9 i is a similar wheel 18 provided with similar positioning devices. but in this wheel the ends 19 do not extend outwardly to the periphery of thewheel, as shown in Fig. ,1, to allow the fish to pass out beyond the end of the wheel. This wheel is provided with an apron 20 and its under side runs in a tray of water 21 substantially the same as wheel 9.

Positioned somewhat below and to one side of wheel 18 is a cylindrical rotary cutting bed 22, somewhat wider than wheel 18. This is providednear either end with transverse slots 23 and, extending from end to end, with a series of rows of projecting spurs 24. Rotary cutters 25 are mounted on the frame and positioned so that the cut ting edges take into and travel in the slots 23 in the cutting bed 22.

In tray 21 is an adjustable gage l5 extending down on either side into the tray and adjustable laterally relative to the posi tioning device to accommodate fish of varying sizes.

The movable parts ofthe machine may be driven by the usual mechanical devices from power not shown transmitted by belt 26 to Patented Nov.

-Wdirectib'iflllfi y the by gravity head of the wheel.

a pulley 27 set on shaft 40. On shaft 40 is a gear 28 which meshes with a gear 29 on shaft 41 set in the frame, causing wheel 9 to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow. Gear 29 meshes with a gear 30 on shag 42 causing wheel 18 I arrow. Gear 30} meshes ith fil on shaft 4 3 causing the tti b d t t fqn thedirectlon indlicated by the arrow. The Q are d en by a sprocket chain 33 passing over PI' O et wheels 32 and 34 on shafts 5 d 48 respectively. The segregating whee 15 yen by a sprocket chain 36 passing ov l' sp qket wheel 37 and 35 set on shafts 42 a 46 respectively.

The operation of my improvet (16 1 e is as follows: The-fish in mass are (111! ped into the segregating wheel and fal upon the shield 5 at the bottom thereof. As-the wheel revolves the fish are picked up, one or more, upon the shelves 4: and are carried around until they slide by gravity into positioning wheel 9. As wheel 9 revolvesthe fish fall against the pyramidal shaped partitions forming the pockets and are carried foremost outwardly toward the ends of the wheel and thence become more .or less perfectly positioned with their noses against the ends of the wheel. They then pass into thesecond-positioning wheel 18 provided with similar pyramidal shaped partitions. The head part of the fish being heaviest thehead end falls down on the inclined side and outwardly toward the positioning gages set in the tray underneath the wheel. In this position they are carried around until they fall by gravity out of the wheel endwiseonto the cutting bed and head against the gages and thence on the bed around until they pass under the rotary cut-' ters which sever the head and tail.

The water in the trays prevent the machine from becoming clogged with the scales and since it soon becomes slimy it lessens the frictional contact of thefish on the positioning partitions, whereby they slide more readily into position. The positioning wheel is somewhat narrower than the cutting bed so that the angle ofthe positioning device will always lie nearest the tail of the fish insuring that the head will always drop downwardly and outwardly toward the ends Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim:

1. In a fish cutting wheel, a positioning machine, a segregating wheel comprising a seto receive the fish f "wheel. to rotate in the,"

ries of pockets formed by radially extendingtransverse partitionsssubstant-ially pyramidal shaped, and a cutting be'd positioned om the positioning 2. In a fish cutting machine, a segregating wheel, a positionin -wheel provided with a series ofpockets formed by radially extending transverse partitions substantially pyramidal shaped, the outer ends of said partitions extending beyond the ends of the wheel, and a cutting bed adapted to receive the fish from the positioning wheel.

3. In a fish cutting machine, a segregating wheel, a series of positioning wheels adapted to deliver one into the other, each provided with a series of pockets formed by radially extending transverse partitions substantially pyramidal shaped, the last in the series having the partitions extending beyond the ends of the wheel, and a cuttin bedadapted to receive the fish discharged from the last of the series.

4. In' a fishcutting machine, a segregating wheel, a positioning wheel provided with a series of pockets formed by radially extending transverse partitions substantially pyramidal shaped, the apex and one side of the pyramidal partition being substantially coincident with the periphery of the wheel, and a-cutting bed adapted to receive the fish discharged from the positioning wheel.

5. In a fish cutting machine, a segregating wheel, a positioning wheel provided with a series of pockets formed by substantially pyramidal shaped partitions, a water tray in which the lower extremity of the positioning wheel is submerged, and a cutting bed adapted to receive the fish discharged from the positioning wheel. j

6. In a fish cutting machine, a segregating wheel, a positioning wheel providedwith a series of pockets formed by radially extending transverse partitions substantially pyramidal shaped, and a cutting bed wider than the positioning wheel adapted to receive the fish as they are discharged from the positioning whee 7. In a fish cutting machine, a segregating wheel, a positioning wheel, a water tray in which the lower extremity of the position ing wheel is submerged, and gages secured to the inside of the tray and adjustable laterally relative thereto.

EDWARD M. LAWVRENCE.

Witnesses:

VVILLIAM AVERY, WVILLIAM F. BROWN. 

